LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The UMKC men’s and women’s cross country teams will wrap up the regular season at the prestigious NCAA Division I Pre-National Invitational, hosted by the University of Louisville, on Saturday.

“We are looking forward to the competition at the pre-national meet,” head coach Shameika McField shared. “I believe both the men’s and women’s teams will compete well, but it will certainly test our preparation and challenge us mentally. Everyone has made improvements and is focused on doing their part as a team so that we are able to continue growth, build confidence and simply compete.”

A total of 51 men’s and 54 women’s teams will compete in four different races at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park Saturday morning. Several UMKC student-athletes from the men’s squad will start competition for the regionally-ranked Roos in the seeded 8-kilometer race at 9 a.m. CT, while a pair of runners will compete in the unseeded section at 10:30 a.m. CT. Eight Roos from the women’s team will take off in the 11:15 a.m. unseeded 6-kilometer race to wrap up the day for UMKC.

Live results will be provided for fans that are unable to attend the event, as well as a live broadcast of the pre-national meet that features the same course used for the NCAA Division I Championships on Nov. 18.

“I think as a program, we are excited and prepared for this weekend,” commented assistant coach Brett Guemmer. “The ladies are coming off of a great performance out at Kansas. Since that race, training has been going great and they feel like fast times are still to come. As a coaching staff, we can’t wait to see what they will do.

“The guys have also been putting out some great sessions and are itching at another chance to race. I believe that they feel good about where their training is right now, and they will add another piece to the puzzle with the individual defending Western Athletic Conference champion, Bryce Miller, opening his season this weekend. As a team, they get to step into the seeded race for the first time and go up against some big names.”